Horace lord



HORACE London HARTFORD,'CONNECT-10H11.

Le'a'm Patent No. 74,387, had February 11,1868.

IMPROVEMENT VIn sRrscH-LoADmc'rms-Asns.

To ALL- WHOM 11'! MAYcONcsnN:

Be it known that I, HORACE Imm), of Hartford', of Hartford county, in the State of onnecticut, have 'invented-certain newand useful 'Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and' I 'do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact-description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making part of thiseapplicat-ion.

My invention relates particularly to certainimprovements-in breech-loadingguns' which are made out of muzzle-loading arms, or what are generally designated altered guns. Inthe alteration of ordinarymuskets, or muzzle-loading guns, by cutting away a portion of the breech of the barrel, and inserting a in ovable'breech-'- block, (er1 breech-piece,) the ar-m is so changed that thev charge-chamber, or=thathportion of the' barrel in which' is placed and exploded the cartridge, is considerably further forward in the barrel thun-it was Vprior to` the altl'-, I ation, and that portion of the barrel to which the charge-chamber is thus removed is notstrongenough to withstand the force .of the explosiony-butis very apt to burst open.

My invention has for its object, mainly, to provide a simple and eiective means of strengthening .the liarrels of altered guns, anda preventiye of the danger of bursting,` and at the same-time otherwise vimprove the arm; and tothese ends my invention consists in'the employment, in connection with the barrel of. an altered errent-away gun, of astrength'eningband or renforce, applied justabout in advance of the-cnt -away portion;v

orabout where the cartridge is-received and held dnringits explosion. And my-.ihvention further .consists in formingthe said reinforce with projections, whichconstitute thee-tand in which are hung the leaves ofthe sight, and also in so arranging the said reinforce that its rear end shall cover theforward end,v of the horizonf tally sliding breech-block and extractor, as will be presently more fully explained.

. To enablel those skilled intheart to make and' use my inventon or'improvement, I will proceed to describe it more fully, referring by letters to-the accompanying-drawings, in which-j Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, illustrating yan altered vmusket with'my improvement.

Figure` 2 is a cross-section at line a: fr, fig'. 1. I

Figure 3 is a similar section, showing a diiferent form or arrangement of sight-stock; and

Figure'f4 is a cross-section atl the line yy, -figli. l I I In the several 'figures the same letter indicates the same part. v

A is the `stock,'B .the barrel, and (l the sliding breech-piece of the gun. v The breech-piece C, when placed in position for the-firing of ,the gun, takes a bearing against a vertical shoulder in the'rear (cutfout) portion of the barrel, as clearly seen at iigfl.V Itis retained by a pinl or stud, g, projecting from', the side of the cut por@ tion of barrel B into a-slot,f, and is manipulated by the band-piece or tailportion, C. The slot. fis cut in such va direction in the side of breech-piece 0(seeg. 1).t h `at the said breech may be first lifted upward at its rear end, and then' drawn backward.v D is the yextractor; .-hungon av pivot at e, aid having a spring, s, arranged to' press up its rear end, as shown. F. is ,theiiip'peib or device for' turning out the empty certi-'idge-shell. Itis.

a simple lever, pivoted at itsfrear .end at and so arranged that when the breech-piece Cv is drawn back the projecting portion o f. the-latter will strike the rear (bent-up) portion of s aid ilippei lll-and throw its forward and suddenly np to knock the empty cartridgecaseclear of the gun. m illustratesa cartridge," placed in the gun in a positionto-be dischnrged Z is the stand or'stock of an ordinary leafsight, and u`p are its leaves. R

is the reinforce or strengthening-collar.

The operation of the gun shown and described will be readily understood', andA since my present inventionl relates whollyto'the reinfrce,-I 'need here only give the following brief description of the 4operationi The beeohpiece having been drawn back, a cartridge is inserted `into the charge-chamber, (or partially inserted.)

The breechfpiece C isl then forced forward, driving the cartridge home, andft he springxtractcr D, passing overv and catching on to the ilanch of thecartridge, as shown. :The cartridge may be exploded 'bya firing-pin, arranged in the.hole t of the pieceG; and struck by a' hammer'(not shown) in thel usual Jnanner.` When it jic desired to reload, thebreech'I-piece is,` lifted and ,drawn back suddenly; rthe extractor-l) pulls the empty cartridge-- oase back,` and nearly outof the charge-chamber, when the flipper F (being now struck-atjits rear end by ,th projecting portion or shoulder k of A the'bre'eoh-piece)^ lies npand--knocks'thellempty shell clear .ont .of .the gun.'

The reinforce R, I propose to make about of the form shown, and it maybe shrunk on to the barrel, or slipped down from the muzzle, and'clriven on, brazed on, or secured in any desired manner. In that kind of breeehfpiece arranged to slide back and forth, as shown, there is 'generally an open joint where its forward upper extremity comes up to the rear cut-ofi' upper portion of the barrel', and in'the use of thekind of extractor shown, the barrel is cut or slotted out for the reception of the extractor in lsuch a-manner that the extractor is exposed to view, and is liable to be thrown up by the bursting of the shell. In order to cover over and protect and hold down the forward end of such an extractor, and in' order, also, t'o neatly-cover over the joint, ivhere the foriard end of the breech-piece comes against the cut-away portion of the barrel, and to hold down or lock the sliding breech at its forward end'securely, I propose to arrange the reinforceA R as shown, so that it will 4 extend or lap over the forward end of the breech-piece C', and cover" the front portion of the extractor D. I` propose, also, to make the reinforce R with projecting ears, Z Z, (see Eg. 3,) in which may be hung on a pivot,

Vin the usual manner, the leaves up of the sight, but it. will be understood that the leaf-sight may be attached to the reinforce R,`as seen at fig. 2, as it is now 'attached to the barrel, without departing from the main features, or losing the main advantages of my'lin'vention.

Having explained my invention, eo that-those skilled in the art can fully understand it, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1., The employment, in combination with an altered gun-barrel (having its rear portion cut out to accommodate a movable breechblock,) of a reinforce or` strengthening-band, or external tube, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. A i Y 2. I also claim so arranging the reinforce as to protect the extractor, and lock down the' forward end of the breech-piece, as speci-fied. l v

3. I also claim forming the reinforce with projecting ears for a leaf-sight, `subetantially as described.A In testimony whereof, 'I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this day of 1867. 4

4HORACE LORD.' [L 5.]

Witnesses C. B.v RICHARDS, LEWIS SHELDON. 

